After such a wonderful day at Girraween NP I spent the following day meandering through the magnificent Main Range National Park around Cunninghams Gap.

A great deal of damage has been done to the area after heavy rains but it just adds to the atmosphere. It’s also made it very green and lush – however, rockslides, mud combined with some very stupid tourists (including locals) make for interesting walks. To see people in thongs meandering through grade 4 walks (clearly sign posted with current damage) just blows my mind. It made me wonder how these same people call me ‘suicidal’ when I get on a bike (with FULL SAFETY GEAR!).

Roads in/around the area are great bike roads – from twisties to open road. Out to Queen Mary Falls etc. are just great! Maryvale has a wonderful old pub (constructed in 1912).

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After a brisk morning on the bike and meandering through the ranges on foot, I opted for a casual stroll around Glengallan Homestead just outside of Warwick.

The Glengallan story is one of boom and gloom: early years of wealth and standing; the successful pastoralist erecting a suitable ediface for his station. But before even the homestead was completed, drought and rural downturn would take their toll. The visionary John Deuchar would die, bankrupt, a broken man. Under later owners, the Slades and Gillespies, Glengallan did again experience good years but never saw its grand plan realised nor even known. Only one wing was completed. The plans have never been found. The homestead, incomplete and inadequate, eventually became derelict, seemingly beyond repair and certainly beyond the means of subsequent owners of an ever decreasing acreage.

The once-great Glengallan went into a decline lasting more than 70 years during which furniture and fittings were sold or removed from the building. The house survived event the post-war threat of demolition but the ravages of time and neglect took a dreadful toll. Glengallan’s past is encapsulated in history. Its future, as a significant heritage attraction, carries the promise of return to glory. As history unfolds, and more evidence and information come to light, the restoration can continue.

If you have the time and energy, it’s a great biking area – it’s a magnificent walking area – and it’s full of history for those so inclined.